Starting 5 (11-14-05)
Submitted on: 11/14/2005 by
Clay Shaver
Welcome to Starting 5 – a feature
column by Operation Sports!
Once again, Managing Editor Shawn Drotar and Senior Staff Writer Clay Shaver will tackle the world of sports and sports gaming in a rapid-fire discussion.
Is there a question on your mind? Find out below how to submit your question for our next column!
***
Starting 5 – Five hot-button topics in the world of Sports and Sports Gaming
1) If a World Series fell in the forest, and no one was watching, would it make a sound?
Clay: Baseball was my first love. Not just the first sport that I loved but it was my first love. When I was a kid, that’s all I talked about. All I watched. All I played. I was the quintessential kid in the backyard playing the “Bottom of the 9th… two outs… Shaver at bat” game everyday after school. That’s why it pains me say that baseball has become nearly unwatchable for me.
Maybe it’s still lingering from the strike. Maybe it’s the entire steroid BS. Maybe it’s simply the product on the field. The NFL grows in popularity practically every week. NASCAR does the same. Yet, the Great American Pastime is pulling the smallest TV audience in its history? Numbers that would have been even lower if it weren’t for a Top 5 market like Chicago being involved.
While the idea of messing with baseball is sacreligious to most, when no one is buying the product, it might be time to change the flavor.
Shawn: I'm not sure what "flavor" to change it to… well, on second thought, I do. Baseball's my favorite sport - always has been, but it's lagging behind other sports badly now. I think it's from a few things - steroids aren't helping - but more than anything, it's suffering from a lack of competition so pronounced that many fans have simply given up on the sport.
I know, I know, the Indians made a surprising run this year - but honestly, more often than not, the high-payroll teams are in it until the end, and the low-payroll teams might as well not even play the season - there's no point. Seriously, if you're a Royals or Rockies fan (whose cities are home to some of the most rabid sports fans in the country), why would you buy season tickets? I wouldn't - and I don't. I'll see the occasional game to watch an interesting opponent, and that's it.
Well, that's what happens to the World Series. In New York and Boston, baseball is still huge, and you can guess why - their fans know they have a realistic chance of winning every year. So, how can you bring that feeling to every baseball fan - who would then bring their enthusiasm back to the stadiums in droves?
Easy - the same way the NFL took over the American sports scene - with a salary cap.
Ensure that shrewd management - anywhere - can win; even over a team blessed by a large television market, and watch - baseball will be back on the national scene within two seasons.
Of course, since the "haves" enjoy the power, it'll be a long time until baseball comes to it's senses and institutes a cap. It will eventually happen - and the sport will be infinitely better for it - but when it does, the NHL debacle will look like a square dance in comparison…
2) The Xbox 360 drops in less than two weeks. Where is your personal hype meter?
Shawn: Rising, but with some trepidation. I suppose I'm not entirely convinced that the current Xbox needed replaced. That said, the new system looks amazing. I still wish that Microsoft had gone with a single SKU, as I think a hard drive in every unit lets developers take full advantage with the hardware, and the fact that they didn't is a major disappointment. The graphics will be a step up, of course - but to me, the real "next-gen" part of the Xbox is in it's approach to the user experience. It's customizable inside and out, custom soundtracks are independent of the games themselves (good riddance, "EA Trax"!), web integration (GamerCards), and the entire Xbox Live experience shows that the Xbox 360 is about the gamer. It doesn't primarily exist to gain acceptance of a new DVD standard (like the PS3 and Blu-Ray) or anything else other then providing gamers the most flexible and robust gaming system possible.
I'm not sure if I needed it - and still don't - but the Xbox 360 will still find a place in my den.
Clay: I agree. It almost feels like the 360 buzz is more below the surface. It’s not the games or even the hardware; it’s more the experience that is coming. My hype meter is pinging for the Xbox 360 version of Xbox Live far more than the new box itself. But, that being said, we’re all little kids at heart, and new toys are always cool!
3) Peyton Manning took an undefeated Colts team into Foxboro and claimed a win Week 9 getting the enormous “can’t beat the Pats on the road” monkey off of his back. What are some of your other favorite notable sports monkeys?
Clay: Monkeys are cool.
I think that interesting sub-plots and stories like these can be interesting, but I think a lot of them are dropped out there by the media in hopes that one will stick. To really be valid like the Colts at Foxboro thing was, don’t the stakes have to be high and the teams/people involved meaningful?
I was telling people the other day how much it nauseates me as a Lions’ fan that they are 0-8 lifetime against Mike Tice. Sure, it sucks to have a 4-year doughnut against Sam the Butcher, but the Lions stink.
Notre Dame’s dominance over Navy is nice…but it’s Navy! I’m glad they are spending more time of the Navy things than the football stuff. Who cares?
But, monkeys are still cool!
Shawn: Please. I'm from Denver. John Elway and the Denver Broncos' back-to-back Super Bowl wins were the first of the NFL's salary cap era, and finally removed Elway's unfairly deserved "loser" label, placing him squarely in the argument for "best quarterback ever". In his final game, the winningest quarterback in NFL history won the Super Bowl over his former coach, took home the MVP trophy, and rode off into the sunset. You just can't end a career any better than that.
4) Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Madden 2006 for Xbox 360 is the lack of…well…Madden. What gives?
Shawn: Thank heavens. The worst videogame announcing team in history is gone. Why EA did it? Beats me - he's been awful for years and they haven't replaced him. My guess is the same as the one I wrote months ago in a "Splinters from the Pine" article: EA has no NFL competition, so why spend the cash on John Madden? They don't need his name to sell the game - they can just slap "NFL 2007" on the next one and it'll sell just as well. EA might not do this next year, but I'd guess that they're slowly cutting the ties with Madden, and this is the logical first step.
Clay: Boom! Looks like John came up lookin’ out his earhole!
Like you said, it’s a great move financially, but it’s the perfect move for the game. I would love to see EA go the 2K route and hire voice actors. There’s just so much more depth and freedom when you don’t have to wedge in a thousand clichés and catchphrases. I woudn’t hate seeing them go to the 3-man booth method with all voice actors or go completely the opposite way and go with nothing but the PA Announcer and game sounds. This opens up a ton of room to move.
And, if you’re reading EA, I know a certain Sports Gaming Writer with a couple hundred voiceover credits who would be willing to work cheap! You could pay me in pizza, Mountain Dew, and early Beta builds!
5) The NHL and NBA are back in action. Anything good so far?
Clay: I don’t remember the last time I was this excited about an NBA season. There just seems to be so many plots, sub-plots, and great stories this year. There finally seems to be more parity in the league and there are actually more good teams than bad teams. Plus, I think we are finally seeing that renaissance of the next generation of Superstars. And, on a purely superficial note, doesn’t the NBA look fantastic in HDTV?
The NHL was a welcome return in my life. I can’t believe we are almost a quarter of the way through the season already. Looks like the whole season has adopted the faster, crisper pace of the game itself. Can’t wait for the playoffs!
Shawn: The NHL looks great - assuming you can find it on your TV. Skilled players and fast skaters matter again. In other words, hockey (so far) looks like the exciting and graceful sport that I remember falling in love with, and the thuggery and defensive all-around-hackery looks to be on the way out… except for Todd Bertuzzi, of course.
6th Man – A little help off the bench
This week’s 6th Man: Chris “Sully” Sullivan – Operation Sports Forum Administrator
6) Terrell Owens. Come on? Did we not all see this coming? Where do the Eagles and T.O. go from here?
Sully: Just last year, TO had the city of Philadelphia eating out of the palm of his hand. Not many athletes can make that claim. However, only a athlete with TO's mental capacity could ruin it. Once again, not many athletes can make that claim. The Eagles homer in me says no, I didn't see it coming, but that's just me living in denial. As soon as TO demanded that his contract be renegotiated, I knew things would eventually get ugly.
It appears that the Eagles organization has moved on. Good for them. They have a solid nucleus to build around, and the cap space to do it. Sure, they're a better team with TO, but people tend to forget that they made it to four NFC Championship games, and 1 Super Bowl, without him.
While Chad Johnson has a list of Defensive Backs he's victimized this year, TO has a list of teams he's tried to ruin. We'll find out this offseason who's next on that list. It only takes one, and I'm sure there's some Head Coach out there that's naive enough to believe they can make TO happy. He'll get his money, but he'll pull another stunt to make sure he stays in the limelight. TO, if you're reading this, I have a suggestion. How about Drew, yourself, and a Las Vegas Drive-Thru Wedding Chapel?
Clay: “Next Question!”
Gotta love Drew!
Drew will actually become the final chapter in this saga. He’s Owens’ out now. I fully expect a press conference in the next 6 months where T.O. talks about how he was used and manipulated by Rosenhaus. Oh poor Terrell… boo hoo! And we’ll all eat it up. TO will be off to his next stop to wreak some more hell. Then we can all get together again to say, “I saw that comin’”
Shawn: Of course, we saw it coming. There are worse people in the NFL than Terrell Owens (a lot of them, sadly), but few are less insecure or immature. It's sad in a way - Owens is an amazing talent who gives his all every time he's on the field, but his ego keeps tripping him up. It's also funny in a way - some of his shtick (the end-zone waiter celebration and the driveway push-ups come to mind) is pure comedy gold. Adding self-proclaimed "super-agent" Drew Rosenhaus to the equation puts the cherry on top. In Owens' "apology" press conference, you almost felt bad for him… and then Rosenhaus went bat-guano crazy immediately afterwards, screaming at everyone in range, and generally coming off like a maniacal cross between Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson with more expensive hair - completely annihilating any good will Owens might have momentarily built up. Honestly, Owens and Rosenhaus will get paid by some sucker, and I'll have no shortage of laughs for the next two years. But, in the meanwhile, I feel bad for Keyshawn Johnson - who's paying attention to his insane antics now?
24 Second Clock – Get one more off in 24 words or less
Clay: Miami. Indiana. Miami. Indiana. Miami. Indiana. Someone forgot to tell the Pistons that the East was a two-horse race.
Shawn: It's good to be back. A great big "thank you" to Mark Fossen, the hardest-working guy at OS. We'll miss you, big guy!
***
Once again, Managing Editor Shawn Drotar and Senior Staff Writer Clay Shaver will tackle the world of sports and sports gaming in a rapid-fire discussion.
Is there a question on your mind? Find out below how to submit your question for our next column!
***
Starting 5 – Five hot-button topics in the world of Sports and Sports Gaming
1) If a World Series fell in the forest, and no one was watching, would it make a sound?
Clay: Baseball was my first love. Not just the first sport that I loved but it was my first love. When I was a kid, that’s all I talked about. All I watched. All I played. I was the quintessential kid in the backyard playing the “Bottom of the 9th… two outs… Shaver at bat” game everyday after school. That’s why it pains me say that baseball has become nearly unwatchable for me.
Maybe it’s still lingering from the strike. Maybe it’s the entire steroid BS. Maybe it’s simply the product on the field. The NFL grows in popularity practically every week. NASCAR does the same. Yet, the Great American Pastime is pulling the smallest TV audience in its history? Numbers that would have been even lower if it weren’t for a Top 5 market like Chicago being involved.
While the idea of messing with baseball is sacreligious to most, when no one is buying the product, it might be time to change the flavor.
Shawn: I'm not sure what "flavor" to change it to… well, on second thought, I do. Baseball's my favorite sport - always has been, but it's lagging behind other sports badly now. I think it's from a few things - steroids aren't helping - but more than anything, it's suffering from a lack of competition so pronounced that many fans have simply given up on the sport.
I know, I know, the Indians made a surprising run this year - but honestly, more often than not, the high-payroll teams are in it until the end, and the low-payroll teams might as well not even play the season - there's no point. Seriously, if you're a Royals or Rockies fan (whose cities are home to some of the most rabid sports fans in the country), why would you buy season tickets? I wouldn't - and I don't. I'll see the occasional game to watch an interesting opponent, and that's it.
Well, that's what happens to the World Series. In New York and Boston, baseball is still huge, and you can guess why - their fans know they have a realistic chance of winning every year. So, how can you bring that feeling to every baseball fan - who would then bring their enthusiasm back to the stadiums in droves?
Easy - the same way the NFL took over the American sports scene - with a salary cap.
Ensure that shrewd management - anywhere - can win; even over a team blessed by a large television market, and watch - baseball will be back on the national scene within two seasons.
Of course, since the "haves" enjoy the power, it'll be a long time until baseball comes to it's senses and institutes a cap. It will eventually happen - and the sport will be infinitely better for it - but when it does, the NHL debacle will look like a square dance in comparison…
2) The Xbox 360 drops in less than two weeks. Where is your personal hype meter?
Shawn: Rising, but with some trepidation. I suppose I'm not entirely convinced that the current Xbox needed replaced. That said, the new system looks amazing. I still wish that Microsoft had gone with a single SKU, as I think a hard drive in every unit lets developers take full advantage with the hardware, and the fact that they didn't is a major disappointment. The graphics will be a step up, of course - but to me, the real "next-gen" part of the Xbox is in it's approach to the user experience. It's customizable inside and out, custom soundtracks are independent of the games themselves (good riddance, "EA Trax"!), web integration (GamerCards), and the entire Xbox Live experience shows that the Xbox 360 is about the gamer. It doesn't primarily exist to gain acceptance of a new DVD standard (like the PS3 and Blu-Ray) or anything else other then providing gamers the most flexible and robust gaming system possible.
I'm not sure if I needed it - and still don't - but the Xbox 360 will still find a place in my den.
Clay: I agree. It almost feels like the 360 buzz is more below the surface. It’s not the games or even the hardware; it’s more the experience that is coming. My hype meter is pinging for the Xbox 360 version of Xbox Live far more than the new box itself. But, that being said, we’re all little kids at heart, and new toys are always cool!
3) Peyton Manning took an undefeated Colts team into Foxboro and claimed a win Week 9 getting the enormous “can’t beat the Pats on the road” monkey off of his back. What are some of your other favorite notable sports monkeys?
Clay: Monkeys are cool.
I think that interesting sub-plots and stories like these can be interesting, but I think a lot of them are dropped out there by the media in hopes that one will stick. To really be valid like the Colts at Foxboro thing was, don’t the stakes have to be high and the teams/people involved meaningful?
I was telling people the other day how much it nauseates me as a Lions’ fan that they are 0-8 lifetime against Mike Tice. Sure, it sucks to have a 4-year doughnut against Sam the Butcher, but the Lions stink.
Notre Dame’s dominance over Navy is nice…but it’s Navy! I’m glad they are spending more time of the Navy things than the football stuff. Who cares?
But, monkeys are still cool!
Shawn: Please. I'm from Denver. John Elway and the Denver Broncos' back-to-back Super Bowl wins were the first of the NFL's salary cap era, and finally removed Elway's unfairly deserved "loser" label, placing him squarely in the argument for "best quarterback ever". In his final game, the winningest quarterback in NFL history won the Super Bowl over his former coach, took home the MVP trophy, and rode off into the sunset. You just can't end a career any better than that.
4) Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Madden 2006 for Xbox 360 is the lack of…well…Madden. What gives?
Shawn: Thank heavens. The worst videogame announcing team in history is gone. Why EA did it? Beats me - he's been awful for years and they haven't replaced him. My guess is the same as the one I wrote months ago in a "Splinters from the Pine" article: EA has no NFL competition, so why spend the cash on John Madden? They don't need his name to sell the game - they can just slap "NFL 2007" on the next one and it'll sell just as well. EA might not do this next year, but I'd guess that they're slowly cutting the ties with Madden, and this is the logical first step.
Clay: Boom! Looks like John came up lookin’ out his earhole!
Like you said, it’s a great move financially, but it’s the perfect move for the game. I would love to see EA go the 2K route and hire voice actors. There’s just so much more depth and freedom when you don’t have to wedge in a thousand clichés and catchphrases. I woudn’t hate seeing them go to the 3-man booth method with all voice actors or go completely the opposite way and go with nothing but the PA Announcer and game sounds. This opens up a ton of room to move.
And, if you’re reading EA, I know a certain Sports Gaming Writer with a couple hundred voiceover credits who would be willing to work cheap! You could pay me in pizza, Mountain Dew, and early Beta builds!
5) The NHL and NBA are back in action. Anything good so far?
Clay: I don’t remember the last time I was this excited about an NBA season. There just seems to be so many plots, sub-plots, and great stories this year. There finally seems to be more parity in the league and there are actually more good teams than bad teams. Plus, I think we are finally seeing that renaissance of the next generation of Superstars. And, on a purely superficial note, doesn’t the NBA look fantastic in HDTV?
The NHL was a welcome return in my life. I can’t believe we are almost a quarter of the way through the season already. Looks like the whole season has adopted the faster, crisper pace of the game itself. Can’t wait for the playoffs!
Shawn: The NHL looks great - assuming you can find it on your TV. Skilled players and fast skaters matter again. In other words, hockey (so far) looks like the exciting and graceful sport that I remember falling in love with, and the thuggery and defensive all-around-hackery looks to be on the way out… except for Todd Bertuzzi, of course.
6th Man – A little help off the bench
This week’s 6th Man: Chris “Sully” Sullivan – Operation Sports Forum Administrator
6) Terrell Owens. Come on? Did we not all see this coming? Where do the Eagles and T.O. go from here?
Sully: Just last year, TO had the city of Philadelphia eating out of the palm of his hand. Not many athletes can make that claim. However, only a athlete with TO's mental capacity could ruin it. Once again, not many athletes can make that claim. The Eagles homer in me says no, I didn't see it coming, but that's just me living in denial. As soon as TO demanded that his contract be renegotiated, I knew things would eventually get ugly.
It appears that the Eagles organization has moved on. Good for them. They have a solid nucleus to build around, and the cap space to do it. Sure, they're a better team with TO, but people tend to forget that they made it to four NFC Championship games, and 1 Super Bowl, without him.
While Chad Johnson has a list of Defensive Backs he's victimized this year, TO has a list of teams he's tried to ruin. We'll find out this offseason who's next on that list. It only takes one, and I'm sure there's some Head Coach out there that's naive enough to believe they can make TO happy. He'll get his money, but he'll pull another stunt to make sure he stays in the limelight. TO, if you're reading this, I have a suggestion. How about Drew, yourself, and a Las Vegas Drive-Thru Wedding Chapel?
Clay: “Next Question!”
Gotta love Drew!
Drew will actually become the final chapter in this saga. He’s Owens’ out now. I fully expect a press conference in the next 6 months where T.O. talks about how he was used and manipulated by Rosenhaus. Oh poor Terrell… boo hoo! And we’ll all eat it up. TO will be off to his next stop to wreak some more hell. Then we can all get together again to say, “I saw that comin’”
Shawn: Of course, we saw it coming. There are worse people in the NFL than Terrell Owens (a lot of them, sadly), but few are less insecure or immature. It's sad in a way - Owens is an amazing talent who gives his all every time he's on the field, but his ego keeps tripping him up. It's also funny in a way - some of his shtick (the end-zone waiter celebration and the driveway push-ups come to mind) is pure comedy gold. Adding self-proclaimed "super-agent" Drew Rosenhaus to the equation puts the cherry on top. In Owens' "apology" press conference, you almost felt bad for him… and then Rosenhaus went bat-guano crazy immediately afterwards, screaming at everyone in range, and generally coming off like a maniacal cross between Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson with more expensive hair - completely annihilating any good will Owens might have momentarily built up. Honestly, Owens and Rosenhaus will get paid by some sucker, and I'll have no shortage of laughs for the next two years. But, in the meanwhile, I feel bad for Keyshawn Johnson - who's paying attention to his insane antics now?
24 Second Clock – Get one more off in 24 words or less
Clay: Miami. Indiana. Miami. Indiana. Miami. Indiana. Someone forgot to tell the Pistons that the East was a two-horse race.
Shawn: It's good to be back. A great big "thank you" to Mark Fossen, the hardest-working guy at OS. We'll miss you, big guy!
***
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